Meet Htoo, an 11-month-old baby boy from a village in Burma. He lives with his parents, sister, and his grandmother on a small piece of land that his grandmother owns.
When Htoo was four days old, he developed a high fever and stroke-like symptoms. His mother took him to their local hospital, where Htoo was admitted and given intravenous medication over eight days before he was discharged.
At four months of age, Htoo’s mother noticed that his head was growing abnormally on the left side. She took Htoo back to the hospital and was given prescriptions for specialized medication. However, Htoo’s head continued to swell.
Htoo’s mother took him to a private clinic to seek help. Doctors at the clinic referred Htoo to our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund (BCMF). Htoo’s mother traveled with her son for five days to reach our medical partner’s care center, Maharaj Nakorn Chiang Mai Hospital, in Thailand.
Once there, Htoo had a CT scan funded by Watsi and was diagnosed with congenital hydrocephalus. This is a medical condition in which excess cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) builds up in the brain cavities.
Htoo will undergo brain surgery on March 4. Surgeons will perform a ventriculoperitoneal shunt insertion to remove the excess CSF and relieve pressure on the brain. BCMF is asking for $1,500 in donations to cover the costs of Htoo’s surgery, hospital stay, and medication.
This has been a difficult time for Htoo’s family, but they look forward to Htoo recovering from his surgery. Htoo’s mother says, “I hope he will be like a normal boy.”
